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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastic and biocide release from antifouling coatings during underwater ultrasonic cleaning
ClearCharacterization of microplastics from antifouling coatings released under controlled conditions with an automated SEM-EDX particle analysis method
Researchers demonstrated that antifouling coatings on boat hulls release microplastic particles into seawater during normal sailing conditions, with most particles between 1 and 5 micrometers in size. These particles contain both plastic binder material and toxic metals like copper and zinc used as biocides. This study reveals an often-overlooked source of microplastic pollution in the ocean, where the released particles carry both plastic and heavy metal contamination into marine ecosystems.
Towards a Comprehensive Understanding of Microplastics and Antifouling Paint Particles from Ship-Hull Derusting Wastewater and Their Emissions into the Marine Environment
Researchers conducted a systematic analysis of microplastics and antifouling paint particles found in wastewater from ship hull cleaning operations. They found that both types of particles are released in significant quantities during derusting, with antifouling particles being particularly toxic due to their high metal and biocide content. The study highlights ship maintenance activities as an important but often overlooked source of marine microplastic and toxic particle pollution.
Environmental pollution with antifouling paint particles: Distribution, ecotoxicology, and sustainable alternatives
This review examines antifouling paint particles as a type of microplastic pollution loaded with toxic biocidal compounds in the marine environment. Researchers found that these particles are mainly concentrated around boatyards and port areas and contribute significantly to overall microplastic pollution, while also discussing recent advances in nontoxic, biobased antifouling alternatives.
Estimating total microplastic loads to the marine environment as a result of ship biofouling in-water cleaning
Researchers estimated that the global shipping industry could be releasing thousands of tons of microplastics annually through the wear, maintenance, and cleaning of marine coatings on commercial vessels. Predictive modeling showed that bulk carriers are the largest contributors, and manual biofouling cleaning by divers generates more microplastics than mechanized cleaning systems with debris capture. The study highlights ship coatings as an underappreciated but substantial source of marine microplastic pollution.
Qualitative and quantitative assessment of microplastics derived from antifouling paint in effluent from ship hull hydroblasting and their emission into the marine environment
Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination generated during ship hull hydroblasting, a common maintenance procedure. They found that a single vessel produced billions of paint-derived particles, with the vast majority smaller than 5 millimeters and composed primarily of acrylic polymers. The study identifies ship maintenance activities as a significant but often overlooked source of microplastic emissions into marine environments.
Co-occurrence of microplastics and microparticles containing Cu and Zn and other heavy metals in sea-surface microlayer in Osaka Bay, Japan
Researchers analyzed tiny particles floating on the sea surface in Osaka Bay, Japan, and found microplastics containing heavy metals like copper and zinc from ship antifouling paints. Most of these metal-laden particles were made of acrylic resins commonly used in marine coatings, carrying copper concentrations up to 54,000 mg/kg. The study reveals that antifouling paint fragments are a significant and underrecognized source of toxic metal-containing microplastics in coastal waters.
Balancing the consequences of in-water cleaning of biofouling to improve ship efficiency and reduce biosecurity risk
Cleaning biofouling from ship hulls underwater prevents the spread of invasive species and improves fuel efficiency, but the process releases microplastics from antifouling coatings, live organisms, and dissolved biocides into the surrounding water. This policy analysis argues that while capture and treatment technologies can reduce — but not eliminate — these risks, policymakers must weigh the full suite of tradeoffs when regulating in-water hull cleaning.
A Novel Application of Ultrasound for Removal of Aqueous Microplastics
Researchers investigated bath-type ultrasonication as a novel method for removing microplastics from aqueous environments, reporting this as the first application of this technique for microplastic remediation. The ultrasound-based approach showed promise as an effective treatment strategy for addressing microplastic pollution in water systems.
Understanding the potential release of microplastics from coatings used on commercial ships
This review examined how polymer-based paints applied to commercial ships contribute to ocean microplastic pollution. The study found that anticorrosive and antifouling coatings shed plastic particles through normal weathering and in-water hull cleaning, with the extent of release depending on coating type, condition, and maintenance practices.
Verification of the existence of copper-based antifouling paint particles in the sea and their implications for marine microplastic degradation
Researchers collected marine debris samples near Nagasaki, Japan, and found that copper-based antifouling paint particles are widespread in the sea alongside conventional microplastics. The copper-based particles showed no depth-dependent distribution, unlike typical microplastics. Their presence may interact with or influence the degradation of surrounding plastic debris.
Microplastic-antifouling paint particle contamination alters microbial communities in surrounding marine sediment
Researchers found that antifouling paint particles from boat coatings significantly altered bacterial communities in marine sediments, reducing biodiversity and favoring certain pollution-tolerant species. While focused on paint rather than microplastics per se, antifouling paint particles are a type of microplastic that carries toxic biocides into the marine environment. The disruption of sediment microbial communities could affect nutrient cycling and the health of ecosystems that support seafood species consumed by humans.
Methods for the detection and characterization of boat paint microplastics in the marine environment
This study developed and evaluated analytical methods for detecting and characterizing boat paint microplastics in the marine environment, addressing a largely overlooked source of plastic pollution from antifouling and decorative coatings that enter seawater through normal boat use.
Degradable Vinyl Polymers for Combating Marine Biofouling
Researchers developed degradable vinyl polymers designed to combat marine biofouling, creating antifouling coatings that break down in seawater to reduce long-term microplastic accumulation while effectively preventing barnacle and algal attachment.
Verification of the existence of copper-based antifouling paint particles in the sea and their implications for marine microplastic degradation
Researchers collected marine debris near Nagasaki, Japan, and found copper-based antifouling paint particles alongside conventional microplastics at several sampling stations. These copper-based particles differ in chemical composition from typical plastic debris and may influence surrounding microplastic degradation patterns. The co-occurrence raises new questions about combined effects of paint particles and microplastics in marine environments.
Health Hazards of Engineering Composite Materials Used in Marine Transportation: Exposure Pathways, Toxicological Risks, and Mitigation Strategies
This research review found that the plastic composite materials commonly used in boats and ships can release harmful chemicals and tiny plastic particles that may damage human health. Workers and the public can be exposed to these toxins through breathing, skin contact, or accidentally consuming contaminated water, potentially causing skin reactions, breathing problems, and nerve damage. The study highlights an overlooked health risk from marine plastics and calls for better safety measures to protect both shipyard workers and coastal communities.
Aging processes and microplastic release behavior of aquaculture implements
Researchers studied how four types of plastic aquaculture equipment age and release microplastics under simulated marine conditions over 16 weeks. They found that PVC buoys released the most microplastic particles, followed by polypropylene cables, polyethylene nets, and PET buoys, with all materials developing increasingly rough surfaces, cracks, and oxygen-containing chemical groups during aging. The study provides guidance for selecting aquaculture materials that minimize microplastic pollution in marine environments.
About antifouling solutions to protect ship’s hull
This review examines antifouling technologies for protecting ship hulls from biofouling organisms such as algae, barnacles, and molluscs, covering modern methods including specialized paints, copper-based coatings, self-polishing surfaces, silicone coatings, and ultrasonic systems. The authors evaluate these approaches for their effectiveness in maintaining hull efficiency and reducing fuel consumption while considering environmental impacts.
Effects of antifouling technology application on Marine ecological environment
This review examines the development and environmental impacts of marine antifouling technologies, finding that uncontrolled use poses irreversible risks to the marine biosphere and calling for comprehensive biofouling prevention strategies with lower ecological toxicity.
A Review of Microplastics Research in the Shipbuilding and Maritime Transport Industry
This review examined microplastic research specifically focused on the shipbuilding and maritime transport industry, an underexplored source of plastic contamination in marine environments. The authors found that ship maintenance, antifouling paint degradation, and fiber rope wear generate significant quantities of microplastics that largely escape current monitoring frameworks.
Health Hazards of Engineering Composite Materials Used in Marine Transportation: Exposure Pathways, Toxicological Risks, and Mitigation Strategies
This review study examined the health risks from fiber-reinforced plastic materials commonly used in boats and ships, which can release toxic chemicals and tiny plastic particles throughout their lifetime. The researchers found that workers and the public can be exposed to harmful substances through breathing contaminated air, skin contact, or consuming contaminated seafood, potentially causing breathing problems, skin reactions, and nerve damage. The study highlights the need for better safety measures in shipyards and more research on how microplastics from marine sources might affect human health.
Biofilms associated with ship submerged surfaces: implications for ship biofouling management and the environment
This paper is not about microplastics; it reviews how microbial biofilms form on ship hulls and how in-water cleaning might manage biofouling and the spread of non-indigenous marine species.
Towards Underwater Macroplastic Monitoring Using Echo Sounding
Researchers investigated using echo sounding (sonar) technology to detect and monitor underwater macroplastics in rivers and coastal environments, presenting this acoustic approach as a promising tool for measuring submerged plastic loads that surface trawling misses.
Effect of Copper Antifouling Paint on Marine Degradation of Polypropylene: Uneven Distribution of Microdebris between Nagasaki Port and Goto Island, Japan
Researchers characterised marine microdebris including microplastics and copper-based paint particles collected at five stations between Nagasaki Port and Goto Island, Japan, then prepared polypropylene samples containing cuprous oxide and studied their accelerated marine degradation using sulfate ion radical initiation to clarify interactions between antifouling paint and microplastic breakdown.
Concentrations and risk assessment of metals and microplastics from antifouling paint particles in the coastal sediment of a marina in Simon's Town, South Africa
Researchers found elevated concentrations of heavy metals and microplastics in coastal sediments near a marina in Simon's Town, South Africa, linked to antifouling paint removal during vessel maintenance, posing risks to the local marine environment.